One year after their freshman show on HGTV became an instant hit, Tristyn & Kamohai Kalama of “Renovation Aloha” are still adjusting to their newfound fame, including getting used to being recognized so often in public.
“You can say it’s drastically different for sure,” Tristyn told TV Insider, noting that because they’re part of a tight-knit community in Hawaii, they were used to running into people they knew at the grocery store.
“We live on an island, so we can’t go to a grocery store without seeing people we (knew) before television,” she said. “Now that has exacerbated tenfold.”
But as “Renovation Aloha” kicks off its second season on February 18, 2025, the couple’s star power is only likely to grow.
Kamohai Kalama Says They Get Recognized Every Time They Leave Their House Since ‘Renovation Aloha’ Debuted
Before “Renovation Aloha” debuted on HGTV in February 2024, the Kalamas were curious about whether being on TV would make them more recognizable locally, they told TV Insider.
“What ended up happening was our local community really loves the show,” Kamohai said. “So, when we step outside our house, we’re going to get recognized at least one or two times.”
What they didn’t expect was that people beyond Hawaii would treat them like celebrities, too.
“Even when we travel to the mainland since the show aired,” Tristyn said, “being noticed on the other side of the country like Florida. It’s wild. It has changed for the best and in all amazing ways. We’ve felt support from everyone. We are so grateful.”
The best part of their newfound celebrity status, Kamohai told TV Insider, is hearing that they’re making a positive impact.
“Tris and I talk about the biggest compliment we can ever get is when someone from our local community comes up tells us we’re doing an awesome job and representing Hawaii well,” he said. “That means so much.”
‘Renovation Aloha’ Stars Turned Their Fortunes Around by Investing in Real Estate
The Kalamas began flipping houses when they realized they could no longer afford the cost of living in Hawaii. They were running three family-owned stores and managed a non-profit but were facing $80,000 of debt, they told Hawaii News Now in March 2024.
“When we got started, at first it was like, we were just trying to crawl out of a hole,” Kamohai told the outlet. “But it was because we wanted to live here, we wanted to thrive here.”
With help from their huge family — including 87 cousins — they turned things around and realized they had a knack for not only renovating houses but inspiring other Hawaiians to create wealth through real estate investment. As their business boomed, from managing home flips to leading trainings for others interested in their business model, HGTV reached out wanting to develop a show.
“I thought it was a scam, dude,” Tristyn told TV Insider in 2024. “I was like, ‘I don’t know. Is this real?’ I didn’t respond to the message for a while.”
Season 2 of “Renovation Aloha” kicks off on February 18 at 9 p.m. Eastern time. The Kalamas will also compete on the next season of “Rock the Block,” due to premiere later this spring.
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Stars of HGTV’s ‘Renovation Aloha’ Say Newfound Fame’s Been ‘Wild’